Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Melissa RossJanuary 12, 2016

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Animal rights groups have scored a major victory against the Greatest Show On Earth, but that isn’t stopping the protests. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, America’s best-known circus, announced Monday it will relocate all its elephants to a conservation center here in Florida by the end of May. That pushes up the […]

Melissa RossJanuary 11, 2016

The Jacksonville City Council meets Tuesday, and the entire 19-member body has sponsored a new bill that would repurpose the Better Jacksonville Plan with a half-cent sales tax to pay down the city’s massive unfunded pension liability. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry says he’s willing to ask the voters to approve the idea with a referendum. […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 8, 2016

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointment of Joni Poitier to the Florida Elections Commission. The 35-year-old Jacksonville lawyer, a Jacksonville Civil Service Board member, is an attorney with Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight and Jones, a legacy firm that specializes in civil litigation and business law. A former prosecutor, Poitier serves on the board of Jacksonville’s Family […]

Melissa RossJanuary 8, 2016

Whether it’s the construction of green buildings, pushing more public transit, or investing in sustainable infrastructure, the Sunshine State is practically flunking when it comes to energy efficiency. That’s according to a new scorecard by a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has issued grades to Florida’s four largest cities. Jacksonville got a 26 […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 4, 2016

Though it isn’t certain that Google Fiber will be coming to Jacksonville, Google has feelers out for a city manager for the project in Jacksonville. A job listing, posted seven days ago, lists these qualifications, a preference for 2nd person construction throughout: “The role of the City Team is to drive the overall business in […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 31, 2015

In November, FloridaPolitics.com reported on the people behind Illuminate Jax seeking buy in from the Lenny Curry administration to move forth with plans to light up the Jacksonville skyline. In January, they will get the meeting they sought in November. Margie Seaman of Illuminate Jax will get a long-awaited meeting with city officials in January, including […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 30, 2015

There’s no doubt 2015 was an amazing year in Jacksonville politics. A new mayor, 11 new members of City Council, and intrigue in Corrine Brown’s redistricting saga were among a few top-level highlights. While we have a reasonable sense of what happened in Jacksonville politics in 2015, the next question is what happens in 2016. Hence, a […]

Melissa RossDecember 30, 2015

Just as Jacksonville’s battle over its human rights ordinance heats up (again), North Florida same-sex couples are preparing to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversaries in a public downtown event. On January 10, 2015, Jacksonville attorney Carrington Mead married more than 60 same-sex couples in a mass ceremony in Hemming Park following the Supreme Court ruling […]

Associated PressDecember 30, 2015

A Florida Bar panel is investigating two Jacksonville prosecutors for possible misconduct. The Florida Times-Union reports the nine-member panel is reviewing complaints against assistant state attorneys Peter Overstreet and Erin Wolfson. They handled the case of a man who spent 19 months in jail despite questions about his guilt that were raised more than a […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 29, 2015

Everyone wants good schools, but getting people (and politicians) to pay for them is a different matter. In St. Johns County, they may have found a way forward … despite the resistance of powerful politicians and “civic leaders” who stood in their way. In November, a referendum passed resoundingly in St. Johns County. It was […]

Ringling to retire elephants early; Jacksonville protests still planned

Labor lawyer pushes back on Lenny Curry pension plan: “We’re setting ourselves up for another crisis”

Joni Poitier appointed to Florida Elections Commission

Florida cities among the least energy efficient in America

Google Fiber seeks manager for possible expansion to Jacksonville

Illuminate Jax moving forward?

A.G. Gancarski’s 12 predictions in 2016 for Jacksonville politics

Email insights: Jax same-sex couples to celebrate one-year wedding anniversaries in Hemming Park

State panel investigates 2 Jacksonville prosecutors

St. Johns County school tax referendum: the most overlooked NE Florida story of the year?